ORIGINS: The Book of Genesis

No. 12 | CREATION—Man and Woman in the Garden, pt. 2

By Danny Capon, May 14, 2023

The Beginning and Meaning of Everything that Matters

Genesis 2:24-25

Introduction

God provides…existence, habitation, food, water, employment, instruction, and now assistance…to man.

The Responsibility of Woman (Gen. 2:24-25)

Can we just do whatever we want?

Are there any consequences for whatever we end up doing?

  • The Old Testament Context
  • The New Testament Context (Matt. 19:3-9)

Jesus asserts:

  1. the of God creating
  2. the and of Scriptures account of God creating
  3. the of Genesis 1-2 (and thus the first man and woman)
  4. the intent of Genesis 1-2 for all humanity

What is God’s definition and description of marriage according to vv. 24-25?

  • “…a man shall LEAVE his father and his mother…”
  • “…and HOLD FAST to his wife…”
  • “…and they shall become ONE FLESH.” (See also, Matthew 19:5, 6; Mark 10:8; 1 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 5:31)
1. it’s what a husband and wife , what they weren’t before

  1. it’s real, not merely (though, not strictly physical)

  2. it’s a reality that produces

  3. it’s similar to believers’ relationship with

  4. it’s demonstrated in intimacy

  5. it’s a new relationship that has it’s when a man leaves his father and mother, and that shouldn’t be by man

  6. it’s a joining of two to become one which entails a change in and

mutual: consideration/ , investment/ , assistance/ , direction/

Marriage is:

  • intentional (a man shall leave)
  • commitment (and hold fast)
  • possessive (to his wife)
  • exclusive (and they shall become one flesh)

“And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”

[‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.’ (Gen. 3:10)]

The nature of the one-flesh union forms the basis for the experience of no shame in marriage.

What is this passage teaching?

  • The man leaving his father and mother on its own doesn’t make him married—it allows him to be joined (hold fast) to his wife.
  • The man leaving (his father and mother) is intentionally contrasted with him holding fast to his wife—meaning, the leaving is specifically a transfer of prioritized loyalty.
  • The man leaving (his father and mother) to become one flesh with his wife means that he’s supposed to transfer his loyalty in order to prioritize sharing a life together with his wife.
  • The man leaving (his father and mother) in the way that he does should result in a mutually open and trusting relationship with his wife, all their life together.

Marriage is one flesh by means of , not two people by means of .

How does sin impact our experience of this teaching?

Men and Women…

... the other as if they aren't made in the likeness of God (See James 3:9)

... the roles God has given to them

... the role God has given to the other

... other alternatives for God’s design of the one-flesh (marriage) relationship

... to accomplish the one-flesh (marriage) relationship without selfless covenant loyalty

... the wellbeing and self-awareness of the other, especially with regard to their God-given sex/gender and role

... the intentions and actions of the other in relationship with them

What sort of culture should we encourage?

  1. a clear, biblical between the sexes/genders and their roles
  2. a mutual for, respect of, and interdependence toward each other
  3. a support for marriages, including those that haven’t begun, are new, are longstanding, are failing, and are now non-existent
  4. a gracious, yet firm of physical intimacy exclusively within heterosexual, monogamous marriage
  5. an for all to thrive in unashamed community

**Where are you? **